Thousands 'Bike the Drive,' close LSD

In a show of pedal power, thousands of bike riders made their way north and south on Lake Shore Drive Sunday for this year's Bike the Drive event.

Riders enjoyed uninterrupted biking while taking advantage of having the iconic Drive all to themselves.

This is the 11th year for Bike the Drive, which began at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. A 15-mile stretch of Lake Shore Drive was closed to vehicles and all open to bike riders. Participants could also choose to make it a round trip and go 30 miles.

"Me and my daughter have been bike riding for a couple weeks trying to go around; we live by Midway, so we've been going around Midway a few times and preparing for this day, because it's our first time," said rider Paul Santana.

Organizers said they expected 25,000 riders to join in the event. Anyone wanting to ride was allowed to sign up until 9:15 a.m., which was when registration was set to close.

After the ride, a festival with food and live music was scheduled.

The proceeds go towards the Active Transportation Alliance, a non-profit organization that works to improve biking, walking and public transit.

Rider were advised to stay hydrated because of Sunday's forecast for temperatures in the 90s.

Lake Shore Drive was expected to reopen to vehicle traffic at approximately 11 a.m.